Ball-point fountain pens



March 15, 1960 D. J. ESTEROW BALL-POINT FOUNTAIN PENS Filed June 20, 1956 FIG .4.

IN VEN TOR. BY Dav id J. Est erow at vi i v United States Patent 3 This invention relates to writing pens and more particularly to-those of the ball-point construction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means by which the ink cartridge bearing the ball-point is advanced and retracted and guided in such movement in a manner to insure easy axial sliding movement of the cartridge within the pen barrel.

It is an object of the invention to provide locking means for maintaining the cartridge at itsadvanced or forward position which locking means shall include a guiding slot and an element guided therein and constantly disposed in'said slot while the cartridge is advanced, retracted or in any intermediate position.

It is an object of the invention to provide, as a part of the cartridge-advancing means, a yoke-shaped spring element, actuated in one direction by a manually-operated plunger, which yoke-shaped element shall be provided with a pair of divergent springy arms, at least one of which shall be apertured adjacent to the point of fold of the yoke-shaped element, to thereby increase the springiness and resilience of the yoke and enable it to be used in pen barrels of various diameters.

It is an object of the invention to provide guiding means for the yoke which shall prevent inadvertent displacement of the yoke relative to its guide slotand which shall have other advantages apparent to those skilled in this art.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a face view of the blank from which the spring yoke, forming part of the improved propelling means, is made;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the yoke;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the yoke;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the body or barrel of a pen, showing the cartridge-advancing and retracting mechanism therein;

Fig. 5 is a face view of a portion of the barrel, showing the slot formed therein;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 7--7 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Ball-point pens of the character to which the present invention relates are usually provided with a. two-part body or barrel, "a portion of the front part or barrel section thereof being indicated at 1 in Fig. 4. This portion of the barrel is often composed of plastic material sometimes referred to as the cap is indicated at 2. The two parts or barrel sections 1 and 2 are detachably coupled together by the screw threads 3, provided on a plug 4 that is force-fitted into the forward endof the rear barrel section or so-called cap 2. The front member 1 of the barrel is internally threaded at its rear end for reception on the threads 3. This is conventional pen construction forming no part of the present invention.

The ink cartridge is disclosed at 5, and the same is also and sometimes of metal. The rear part of the barrel,

of conventional construction, consisting of a relatively slender tube containing an ink supply 6, and fitted in its forward end with the ball-point, not shown, but of known construction. The cartridge 5 is axially slidable within the barrel sections 1 and 2, and also through the central aperture 7 in the plug 4, and it is normally urged toward therear end of the pen by means of a coil spring surrounding its forward end, which spring is confined between a shoulder formed on the body of the cartridge and a tapered portion inside of the barrel section 1. g This arrangement is known and widely used in ball-point pen construction and hence is not illustrated herein.

A spring yoke is formed from the blank shown in Fig. 1. It will be therein noted that the blank consists of a lengthy strip of springy metal provided at one end with a rounded projection 11. At its opposite end the strip is formed with a portion indicated at 12, of slightly less width than the width of the strip, and extending from this portion is a tongue 13 of less width than the width of the part 12. Thus, shoulders 14 are provided on the end of the part 12 at the base of the tongue 13. I

The blank shown in Fig. 1 is formed into the yoke member 10 by being transversely folded on the lines indicated at 15, 16, 17, 18, 1'9 and 20, resulting in the yoke member shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 6. Such yoke member is provided at its rear end with a loop portion 21 from the forward ends of which extend the lateral parts 22 forming shoulders for a purpose to be described. Extending divergently from the ends of the extensions 22 are the springy legs 23 and 24. The leg shown at 24 is that which is provided with the rounded protuberance 11. This protuberance 11 facilitates easy sliding movement of the yoke within the pen barrel. The part shown at 12 is formed on the free end of the leg 23, and said part is bent on the line 25 to extend at right angles to the body of the leg 23, and the tongue shown at 13 is curled or bent over backwardly to form a rounded loop substantially as indicated at 26.

For the purpose of adding resilience and flexibility to the spring legs 23 and 24 of the yoke, and to permit one size of yoke to be used in pens of various diameters, elongated slots 27 and 28 are provided in the body of the yoke adjacent to the base ends of the legs.

Fig. 4 shows how the yoke is fitted in position within the rear barrel section or so-called cap 2 of the pen. It will be noted that this portion of the barrel of the pen is provided in its wall with an elongated slot 30 formed at its forward end with an enlarged portion 31. When the yoke 10 is fitted in place in the barrel section 2 the relatively narrow tongue portion 13, now bent into the loop 26, fits in and is slidable within the narrow portion of this slot. The portion 12 of leg 23 being wider than the narrow portion of slot 30, cannot enter into the slot until the yoke is moved forwardly to an extent as to cause the part 12 to register with the wide portion 31 of the slot, whereupon the springiness of leg 23 will cause the part 12 to rise into the part 31 of the slot. This is shown in Fig.4. It will be noted that when the parts are in this position, the cartridge 5 is in its projected or advanced position at which time its ball point is extended out of the forward end of the barrel section '1 and is in writing position, andwill re main in such position as long as the wide portion 12 of the leg 23 is engaged with the wide portion 31 of the slot in the barrel section 2.

Secured to the barrel or cap section 2, is a pocketengaging clip 39, provided at its forward end with the ball or enlargement 40 positioned over the wider portion 31 of slot 30. Thus, when the loop portion 26 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, at which time the yoke is in its advanced position, the loop 26 will be disposed under and in contact with the ball 40 of the clip. Finger 3 Q pressure imposed on the clip at the. free end thereof, will cause the loop 26 to be depressed until the shoulders 14 are below the wall of the barrel section 2, or the portion slot 30, whereupon the: springiabout the forward end of the cartridge will" force the-yoke-lili rearwardly; the loop portion 261being guided in a narrowpart of the slot duringsuch movement. I 1 The loop 26lis so'formed that its end orter'minal '32 constantly, remains in the'slot 30 whether the yokedtl is advanced or retracted, so that the y'oketherefore cannot be accidentally displaced by twisting movement, 'to dis-' engageit from the slot. I The'barrel sectiorr ortcap 2 is; provided atits rear end: with the opening 33 through which 'the" plunger or -fingerpiece 34 is axially guided. At-"its *forwa'rd'end, the plungerorfinge'r piece 34 is provided-with 'a jsleeye por tion' 35 into which the 1eop-per tiqa 2150i the yo'k'e' lil is force-fitted,so t-hat the yoke and the'plunger ar'e 'thus- I securelycoupled together The plunger may be-rnad'e of 2. A fountain pen construction comprising a barrel,

" an ink cartridge mounted for limited axial movement therein, a spring surrounding the cartridge and acting to normally urge the same toward the rear of the barrel,

. the barrel being provided with a slot in its wall, said slot having an elongated narrow portion and a shorter wider portion at one end thereof, a yoke-shaped member of flat spring metal slidably mounted in the barrel and against which' th'e rear end of the cartridge is urged by the spring, saidyoke-sh aped member having a pair of spring arms, one of which is formed witli'a shoulder near its free' end and a reduced-width extremity extentr vanced writing'pds'i'tion, the vviclenportio ofthe" yoke metal or of plastic; A bead; 35 is provided on the plunger to limit its rearward movement, eThe parts 22 of the yoke act' as abutments, against whichthe rear end of the ink cartridge is held byrits encircling spring. I

From the foregoing, the structure and operation of the improved pen mechanism will be readily apparent.

In the retracted position of the-ink cartridge, the loop member 26 of the yoke 10 is located at there'a'r end of the narrow portion of slot 30 and the plunger is retracted toits maximum extent out of the back of the barrel section or cap 2. When the plunger isdepressed-to the position shownin Fig; 4, it will urge the yoke forwardly until the portion 12 thereonwill register with the wider portion 31 ofthe slot 30 whereupon this portion 12 of the yoke willspring into that part'of theslot'and actto lock the yoke, and hence the ink cartridge," in its for-- arm engaging in the-wider port-ion o'fthe slot whcn the yoke" is so advanced to thereby retain the yoke in such advanced position, the narrower" portion 'of the oke arm having 'an extremity that always remains" in the narrow portion of the slot to'holdtheyoke against rctativemovement within-the barrel, a clip on the barrel having an end behind which the loop 'on the yoke arm is positioned when'the yoke is in its advanced position,

the rear end of the yoke being rectangular'arid being fitted into the circular" open end of the plunger with the major portion ofeacli arm extending--forwardly beyond the forward endof th'e'plung'e'ncand 'eac'hpf the arms of the yokebing provided with ashouldef'to abut .against the e'nd of theplungei' when-the rectangular end ward or writing position. When pressure is imposed on the clip 32, the loop 26 will be depressed tedisengage the part 12 from the slot portion31 whereupon the cartridge can be propelled rearwardly by its spring until defined by the-bead 35.

Having described a single embodiment of'the" invention, it is obvious that the same is not tohe' restricted thereto, but is broad enough to' cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

Whatlclaim is: V

l. A fountain pen construction comprising, ai'barrel, an ink cartridge mounted' ior limited axial movement therein; a spring'surroundingthe cartridge and'acti'ng' to normally urge the same toward" the rear of the barrel, the barrel having a slot in its wall,'said slot having an enlongated narrow portion and a shorter, wider portion at one end thereof, a springy, yoke-shaped member slidably mounted in the barrel, a plunger of hollow cylindrical form having a forward circular open end, th'e yoke of'the yokeis fitted into the plunger. 1

3.111 a; fountain pen of the hall-point; type," abarrel, a plunger operative through therearcn'tFthreof, 'a yoke of flat'sp ring metal slidable in the barrel and'mov'able in one direction by" the plungeig the plunger saving the plunger reaches its limitof rearward movement as shaped member having a rectangular rear end I inserted circular opening in its forward end, the "yoke' lhaving a rectangular rear endinser'ted to'a predetermined extent through said opening andinto the inte 'orerrne plunger leaving the greater portion o f-eachfa m extending forwardly of the plunger, the yoke having divergent arms each of which is formed with a shoulder to limitthe'ex tent of insertion of the rectangularifendofjtheyoke into the plunger by abutment of the' shoulders against" the end of the" plunger, the yoke having ion'elof its arms formed with aloop,- the. barrel having an elongated. slot in which said loop travels, and the slot having a widened end portion into which the' 1oop entersat the end of theforward travel ofthe'yoke. n "f f jj' 4. In a'pen construction as provided s in 'cla'ini 3; wherein the yoke is provided iwith elongated slotsfwhich 'slots extend through" the shduldei'sandp'artlypinto the portion of the yoke which enters theplunger,1said slots also having parts located in a portion of each arm beyond the shoulders.

References Cited'in the file of this patent 

